HCM
City From A To Z
An Dong Market
An Dong Market in District 5 is a shopping paradise for tourists, especially those from Asian countries. Tip: The top floors have many craft shops of good quality. You need no address of An Dong. Call a cab and ask the driver to take you to Cho An Dong.
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For Vietnamese women, the ao dai is both a national dress and a daily costume. Vietnamese ladies look more elegant in an ao dai. The mystery of the ao dai is the fact that it is capable of both highlighting feminine charms and hiding their defects. The ao dai is the number one Vietnam souvenir of Japanese women. Tip: The ao dai can be tailored and delivered within 24 hours in HCM City.
Apocalypse Now
2C Thi Sach, Dist. 1. Tel: 8241463.
One of the best bars in town. Tip: Carefully selected music not usually found in other bars or cafes.
Backpacker streets
Bach Dang Ice Cream
26B Le Loi Street, Dist.1. Tel: 8257140.
A favorite place of young Saigonese. At night, this ice cream shop of several stories is often full. Tip: At night, watching Le Loi Street, one of the main streets of Saigon, is an experience one should try.
Ben Duoc Temple
Near Cu Chi Tunnel, Ben Duoc Temple was built in 1993 to commemorate war martyrs who died fighting for Vietnam's independence.
Ben Thanh Market
This "all-in-one" market is in the center of the city. Tip: A must-visit place. You need no address of Ben Thanh Market. Call a cab and ask the driver to take you to Cho Ben Thanh.
Ben Thanh Tourist
4-6 Ho Huan Nghiep St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8238962
One of the top-ten tour operators in Vietnam
Binh Quoi Tourist Village
1147 Binh Quoi St., Binh Thanh Dist. Tel: 8841195.
On Thanh Da peninsula, the tourist village is like a huge garden with lawns and trees. Tip: A tourist village beside the Saigon River.
Binh Tay Market
Binh Tay Market on Thap Muoi Street in District 6 is the largest wholesale market in town.
Blue Ginger
37 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8298676
A restaurant of Vietnamese cuisine tourists shouldn't miss. Tip: The banh cuon tom ap chao (pan-fried shrimp scallion ravioli) is a must.
Bodhi Tree Restaurant
175/6 Pham Ngu Lao St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8369545.
This restaurant offers a menu of 150 vegetarian dishes from Vietnam, India, Mexico and Italy. Tip: Dishes are cooked when ordered.
Bonsai 1 cruise ship
1147 Binh Quoi St., Binh Thanh Dist., Tel: 8991833.
A wooden cruise ship on the Saigon River, the Bonsai 1 is 40m long, 9m wide, and capable of accommodating 120 people. Tip: Cozy atmosphere.
Brodard Restaurant
11 Nguyen Thiep St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8275891.
A favorite coffee shop of the Saigonese.
Ca keo hotpot street
Ca keo is a fish about 10cm long. Grilled ca keo fish served with tamarind fish sauce is a specialty. But it is ca keo hotpot that makes this a special street in HCM City. Ba Huyen Thanh Quan Street and its environs in District 1 are the ca keo hotpot street. The hotpot has a sour taste, and is served with a lot of vegetables and rice vermicelli. Tip: How to eat a ca keo fish from the hotpot: Put the entire stewed fish in your mouth with the tail in first. Hold the fish with your lips and pull the fish out by its head. The meat of the fish will remain in your mouth while the head and the backbone is pulled out.
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19 Cong Truong Lam Son, Dist. 1. Tel: 8234999
No other five-star hotels in town have a history comparable to that of the Caravelle. The hotel is also the first hotel to win The Saigon Times FDI Top 40 Award for foreign investors. Tip: Saigon Saigon Bar is a must.
Carving street, a section of Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District
Cha ca La Vong - A Special Dish
A specialty of Hanoi, cha ca La Vong (La Vong fish paste) is now available in HCM City. The place that serves it is Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant.
The restaurant opened in May, 2003, and it has been serving only the dish besides drinks. With 20 tables, it can serve 120 customers at the same time. "At present, though not much advertising has been done for the dish, about 10% of our customers are foreigners," says Doan Cong Thanh, the owner.
He says the fish paste was invented by his great-great grandparents more than a century ago. It is made of catfish or snakehead fish fillets. They are spiced and broiled, and are eaten with rice vermicelli or banh da (northern-style rice paper) and fermented shrimp paste, fried peanuts, pickled spring onion bulbs, and aromatic herbs.
The eatery belongs to his family's three-restaurant chain and it is the only branch in the South.
The main restaurant is also the oldest restaurant in Vietnam (in operation for 133 years), located at 14 Cha Ca St., Hanoi. The La Vong fish paste is the only dish which is used to name an ancient street in Hanoi. In particular, it has been introduced in the website of the U.S. television station MSNBC as one of the 10 places that everybody should visit before they die.
Address: 31 Nguyen Thi Dieu St., Dist. 1, HCM City
Tel: 9305674
Com Nieu Saigon Restaurant
6 C Tu Xuong St., Dist. 3. Tel: 9326388.
Tip: Rice cooked in clay pots.
Conical hat
One of the symbols of Vietnam. In HCM City, non la is still worn by street traders. It remains a favorite item for foreign tourists because it is made from natural materials.
Continental Hotel
132 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8299201.
Built in 1880, Continental is the oldest hotel in HCM City and Vietnam. Tip: The hotel welcomed French writer Andre Malraux, Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore and British writer Graham Greene.
Cruise ships on the Saigon River at night
Cu Chi Tunnel in Cu Chi District
Once the headquarters of the armed forces in Saigon-Gia Dinh, Cu Chi Tunnel is a system of 200km of tunnels between 2.5m and 12m underground. Tip: Tourists can shoot real guns.
D.A.N.
19 Cong Truong Lam Son, Dist. 1. Tel: 8247144.
A must-see jewelry shop in downtown HCM City.
Dam Sen Park
3 Hoa Binh St., Dist. 11. Tel: 8841195.
Dam Sen is one of the recreational parks most familiar to Saigonese. Tip: It has a water park inside.
Draft beer
In HCM City bia hoi or draft beer is often served in sidewalk eateries. Bia hoi is often served with grilled dried squid or groundnuts. Tip: Bia hoi is inexpensive beer and bia hoi eateries are where people make friends easily.
Fashion street
Footwear streets
General Le Van Duyet Temple
1 bis Phan Dang Luu St., Binh Thanh Dist. Tel: 8412517.
This is the temple of Le Van Duyet, a high-ranking mandarin of the Nguyen Dynasty and governor of Gia Dinh, the former name of Saigon-Gia Dinh area, now HCM City.
Giac Lam Pagoda
118 Lac Long Quan St, Tan Binh Dist. Tel: 8642012.
The oldest pagoda in HCM City.
Givral Restaurant
169 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8292747.
One of the best-loved coffee shops in Saigon.
Ho Chi Minh Museum
1 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Dist. 4 Tel: 8299749.
Also called Ben Nha Rong, the building used to be the office of the French maritime transport firm Messageries Maritimes. It was at this place that Nguyen Tat Thanh, who later became Uncle Ho, embarked on the Latouche Treville to go abroad to begin the struggle for Vietnam's independence. The museum displays materials about President Ho's activities.
Ho Chi Minh City History Museum
2 Nguyen Binh Khiem St., Dist. 1, Tel: 9100167.
One of the oldest museums in the city, the museum displays exhibits on Vietnam's history and on some themes such as antiques, the Phu Nam culture, Cham arts and Mekong Delta arts.
Ho Chi Minh Operation Museum
2 Le Duan St. Tel: 8229387.
Hoa Vien Brauhaus
28 bis Mac Dinh Chi St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8290585.
A cozy place to enjoy draft beer from Pilsen, the Czech Republic, and Eastern European dishes.
Kuan Yu's Temple
678 Nguyen Trai St., Dist. 5. Tel: 8538775.
Not far from the Lady's Temple is a temple built by the local Trieu Chau association to worship Quan Vu, or Quan Cong (Kuan Yu). It is called Nghia An Hoi Quan or Mieu Ong.
Lady's Temple
710 Nguyen Trai St., Dist. 5. Tel: 8555322.
Built by the local Guangdong community in the 19th century to worship the goddess of the sea, this temple attracts the largest turnout in Cho Lon, the Chinese area of HCM City. The temple has been renovated by Saigontourist to make it more attractive. Tip: Sophisticated ceramic sculpture on the roof of the temple.
Lion draft beer
11-13 Cong Truong Lam Son, Dist. 1. Tel: 8238514.
Mangosteen Restaurant in Bong Sen Hotel
117-123 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1 .Tel: 8291516.
Mrs. Ca Doi Restaurant
11 Ton That Thiep St., Dist. 1.
One of the oldest restaurants in Saigon, the 50-year-old restaurant was set up by a northern woman. The Menu is of the daily dishes of Vietnamese families. Tip: The restaurant has a northern taste, but its diners are people from all over Vietnam plus foreigners.
Nhu Lan bread with ham
50, 68 Ham Nghi St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8292970.
Set up in 1968, Nhu Lan was first on Gia Long Street, now Ly Tu Trong, before being moved to Ham Nghi Street. Aside from ready-to-eat foods, Nhu Lan also offer dishes from the three regions of Vietnam. Tip: Vietnamese bread with ham is Nhu Lan specialty.
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Quang Truong Cong Xa Paris, Dist. 1. Tel: 8294822.
Built by the French in 1877, this cathedral, the best known in Saigon, has neo-Romanesque architecture and two towers 57m high. In front of it is a statue of the Virgin Mary. Tip: Some ceremonies are in English.
Oriental medicine street
Panorama 33
37 Ton Duc Thang St., Dist. 1. Tel: 9100493.
The coffee shop is at the top of HCM City and Vietnam's tallest building, where you can watch the city's skyline, including its most famous structures and the winding Saigon River. Tip: There is a terrace at Panorama 33 where you can inhale fresh air high in the sky.
Pedestrian street
Pho 2000
(pho soup restaurant)
1-3 Phan Chu Trinh, St.1. Tel: 8222788.
Pho 24 (pho soup restaurant)
67 Hai Ba Trung St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8228360.
Phu Thinh Souvernirs
Bamboo and rattan products.
23/2A Tran Nao St., Dist. 2. Tel: 8875736.
Phu Tho Horse Race Stadium
Le Dai Hanh St., Dist. 11. Tel: 8662644.
Reunification Palace
133 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8223652.
On this site the former palace of the French governor of Indochina was built in 1868 and became the presidential palace of South Vietnam when Ngo Dinh Diem came to power in 1950s. After being damaged by bombs during a coup attempt in early 1960s, the palace was rebuilt. In early 1975, Nguyen Thanh Trung, a revolutionary secret agent who was a Saigon regime fighter pilot dropped bombs on the palace. On April 30, 1975, tanks of the liberation army crashed through the main gate of the palace, ending the 20-year war for Vietnam's reunification.
Rex Hotel
141 Nguyen Hue St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8292185.
One of the best known hotels of HCM City. Tip: From Rex's rooftop Garden Bar, which was voted by Newsweek as
one of the best in Asia, tourists can see busy streets thrivers. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Saigontourist Department Store
35bis-45 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8225328.
One of the most modern shopping center in town.
Saigontourist Travel Service
49 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8298914.
One of the most reliable tour operators in Vietnam.
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About 10km from downtown, Saigon Water Park was the first modern water park in HCM City and Vietnam.
Sakura
A restaurant run by a Japanese lady with a mentally-handicapped staff.
4 Ton Duc Thang St., Dist. 1.
QI Saigon Spa
253 Nguyen Van Troi St., Phu Nhuan Dist. Tel: 8449222
Salted fish hotpot
A southern specialty cooked with salted fish and eaten with a lot of
vegetables. Rice vermicelli is put into a bowl, and beef, fish, shrimp
and squid is put into a hotpot. Tip: A bowl of lau mam must be served
with a lot of vegetables.
Sheraton Hotel Saigon
88 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8272828.
The five-star of the five-star hotels in Saigon.
Southern BBQ village
These restaurants, often on large roofed space, are becoming more
popular. Besides, grilled dishes, other southern foods are served. You
can find one at 9 Tang Bat Ho Street in District 5 (Tel: 8554024).
Soya milk
A wonderful beverage because it is nutritious and cheap and available everywhere.
Squid Rice Porridge
A popular dish, the chao muc is delicious. Dried squid is grilled and
torn into small pieces and then cooked with rice. Tip: Thanh Son eatery
at 144 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, District 3 (Tel: 8297554), is a good
place to visit.
Street of ornamental fish
A section of Nguyen Thong Street, District 3. One can find everything
for an aquarium.
Sugarcane juice, sold everywhere.
Suoi Tien Park
Tan Phu, Dist. 9. Tel: 8964705.
For provincial visitors to HCM City, Suoi Tien is a must-see place. Tip: Huge statues of the kings of the Hung Dynasty, the founders of Vietnam.
Tao Dan Park on Truong Dinh Street in District 1.
The park resembles a part of a jungle in the middle of Saigon, with many high trees providing shade for the whole park. A place of interest of Saigonese who do physical exercise.
Tax Shopping Center
135 Nguyen Hue St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8213849.
The wedding apparelstreet
Thu Ha Tailor, a tailor for foreigners at Vietnamese prices.
29 Nguyen Huy Tu St., Dist. 1, Tel: 8203981
Thu Ha has both Vietnamese and foreign clientele. Foreign customers are residents in serviced apartments such as Somerset or Norfolk Mansion or living in An Phu or Thao Dien. June, July and December are peak time for foreign customers who go on vacation or return to their homeland to welcome the new year. Suits and coats are the two most popular items for this kind of client. Tip: Foreigners and Vietnamese pay the same price which is reasonable. Thu Ha is very punctual in delivery.
Thuan Kieu broken rice
54 Thuan Kieu St., Dist. 11. Tel: 8562891.
Although also using rice, com tam is a unique dish of the Vietnamese. The rice must be broken rice to have a special taste. Thuan Kieu has nine restaurants in HCM City. Tip: Home delivery available.
Thuyen Vien Vegetarian Restaurant
11-13 Nguyen Van Dau St., Binh Thanh Dist. Tel: 8433050.
With a menu of 60 dishes, Thuyen Vien is one of the famed vegetarian restaurants in HCM City, although it is not in the city's downtown. Tip: Open from 7a.m. to 10p.m. Thuyen Vien also offers excellent cakes for vegetarians.
Traditional Medicine Institute
273 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., Phu Nhuan Dist. Tel: 8443049.
This institute holds short courses on health and yoga, and it treats
patients using traditional Vietnamese medicines.
Tropical Vietnamese fruit
Don't miss a chance to taste Vietnam's best fruit when in HCM City. Tip: The section of Le Thanh Ton Street opposite Ben Thanh Market in District 1 has several shops selling good fruit at fixed prices.
Vam Sat Resort
Ly Nhon, Can Gio Dist. Tel: 8876169.
A resort in the middle of Can Gio mangrove forest, one of the world's recognized biospheres. Tip: Dam Doi near Vam Sat is the natural habitat of large flocks of bats.
Vietnam Golf & Country Club
Long Thanh My, Dist. 9. Tel: 2800115
The French introduced
coffee into Vietnam less than two centuries ago. Now Vietnam has become
one of the world's top coffee exporters.
In this digital age, some Vietnamese have adopted instant coffee
with Coffeemate cream and sugar, and others use electric coffee makers.
The purists, however, shun such philistine practices and keep the habit
of enjoying ca phe phin, filtered coffee, lovingly produced by
single-cup filters.
It's simple to make a cup of filtered coffee. The filter is
placed on a coffee cup or glass, two teaspoons of ground coffee are
added, and then boiled water. The filter is capped and another process
begins that Vietnamese claim is essential to enjoying coffee: the Wait.
You sit, you talk or meditate, you think about what you are about to
savor. In a minute or so, the first drops of precious dark brown liquid
begin to fall from the filter to the cup. It takes a full five to ten
minutes for the water to fully pass through the filter. When it stops
dripping, remove the cap and manipulate the little press to squeeze the
last drops from the fragrant grounds.
Add sugar or condensed milk to your taste and stir with a spoon.
The filtered coffee is now at your service.But is the art of making
filtered coffee really so simple? Of course not, or else the thousands
of coffee shops in Vietnam will shut down. The art lies in how the
coffee is treated before being ground, and the way boiled water is
poured into the filter. The secrets are too complicated for this
article.
In fact, not all coffee shops here mastered the art of making
filtered coffee. However, coffee enthusiasts prefer having a cup of
coffee at a shop to a homemade coffee. There, they can sip hot coffee
while discussing current news or sports. They sit on stools, often very
low, at inexpensive ca phe via he, or sidewalk coffee sites, a
common scene in Vietnam.
However, for the elite there are luxurious ca phe via he
as well. Some of these in HCM City may approach the caliber of coffee
shops along France's famous Champs Elysee. For example, the one in front
of Me Linh Point Tower where coffee drinkers can watch the Tran Hung Dao
Monument Park and inhale the fresh air from the Saigon River. At
Highlands coffee shop at The Metropolitan Building, customers can take
in the view of the Paris Commune Square, Notre Dame Cathedral, the
lovely Central Post Office, and Diamond Plaza Shopping Center.
Half a century ago the Hotel Continental's sidewalk coffee shop
was a rendezvous for French elite and international journalists, but it
has gone. When filmmakers shot Indochina, Dien Bien Phu and The Quiet
American, they had to recreate it.
Filtered coffee is available at rooftop cafes at the Rex,
Caravelle, Palace, Century Saigon and other hotels. HCM City's highest
coffee shop lies on the 33rd story of the Saigon Trade Center, which is
the tallest building in Vietnam. There, you can both enjoy a cup of
filtered coffee and a panoramic view of Saigon. There have been no
reports on whether the altitude affects the taste one way or the other.
If you're used to drinking instant coffee, don't hesitate to try
a cup of filtered coffee, another unforgettable experience of Vietnam.
And if you want to try making your own, the Vietnamese coffee filter is
made of aluminum or stainless steel and sells for VND5,000-10,000 in
department stores.
Vietnamese pancakes
on Dinh Cong Trang Street
46A Dinh Cong Trang St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8241110.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda
339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., Dist. 1. Tel: 8483153.
This is the biggest Buddhist pagoda in HCM City. The main hall was completed in 1970 with assistance from Japanese, and the pagoda has some Japanese architectural characteristics. Tip: The pagoda's bell is also a gift from Japan.
Xe Om
A motorbike taxi is a very convenient way for budget tourists to move around town.
Xich Lo
Xich lo comes from the French word "cyclo." Traveling by xich lo is now a great way to tour the city. A guest sits in the front of the vehicle and the driver sits behind. A xich lo that runs slowly on the streets of Saigon helps a tourist enjoy the cityscape and Saigonese activities. Tip: If you are courageous enough, ask the driver to give you a try at the cycling (but not on crowded streets).
War Museum
28 Vo Van Tan St., Dist. 3. Tel: 8290325.
A must-see for foreign tourists. On display are exhibits concerning the atrocities during the Vietnam war such as My Lai massacre and victims of napalm bombs and Agent Orange. There is also a guillotine brought to Vietnam by the French colonialists. In late 1950s, this guillotine was moved to several provinces in South Vietnam to execute revolutionists. The souvenir shop sells items related to the war.
Len Saigon (Wool Products)
255 Hoang Van Thu St, Tan Binh Dist.. Tel: 8445943.
Fl. 2, Zen Plaza, 54-56 Nguyen Trai St., Dist. 1.
Fl. 1, City Plaza, 230 Nguyen Trai St., Dist. 1.
Ground Fl., CMC Plaza, 79B Ly Thuong Kiet St., Tan Binh Dist.
Zen Plaza
54-56 Nguyen Trai St., Dist. 1. Tel: 9280339.
Biggest fashion center in HCM City